Human Nature
by Laura x Tennant
Summary: Human Nature with Rose (as if Doomsday never happened.) It's been done lots of times before, I know, but I really wanted to give this a go myself.
1. Prologue

_**Human Nature**_

_**~ Prologue ~**_

"Did they see you? Rose, did they see you?" he asked, his eyes frantically searching hers.

She placed her hands over his, where they were shaking her shoulders gently. "No, why? Who are they?"

He sighed in relief, and cupped her cheeks in his hands. "They're called the Family. They haven't seen us, so we can try and run from them. Trouble is, they've caught my scent – the scent of a Time Lord – because of which they'll be able to track us."

Rose swallowed thickly. "Meaning that however fast we run, they'll catch up sooner or later?"

"Yeah," he breathed out roughly, dropping his hands. He turned to the console controls, belatedly realising he should probably get the TARDIS hurtling around in the vortex while he explained to Rose what he'd have to do.

"What do they want, though?" she asked quietly, watching his hands work hurriedly with levers and buttons.

"They're hunters, predators. And they're greedy. They'll kill me then live forever. Weelll, as long as my forever is, that is." He turned back to face her. "I'm so sorry, but the only way I'm going to be able to keep you safe is to become human."

Rose blinked. Once. Twice. "Sorry, what?" she asked, completely lost.

"I'm going to have to change my complete biological make-up so that they won't recognise me as Time Lord. We'll have to hide somewhere, somewhen. You'll have to look after me, stop me doing anything stupid – you know what humans are like."

She let that dig at her species slide, far too confused to argue with him about that, of all things. "Hang on though – how? _How _are you gonna do this? How can you just become human?"

He sighed anxiously and looked above her head, seeing the TARDIS had already lowered the chameleon arch for him. "Using that," he murmured, nodding towards it. "It'll rewrite every cell. I'll be human. I'll look the same, but I'll have one heart."

"But you'll still be you?"

"To look at, yes. Inside? No. I mean, basic things – mannerisms and that – they might be the same. But I'll be a different man, essentially, because I won't have my memories." He glanced away from her penetrating gaze for a split second as he added, "or my feelings."

Before she could question what he meant by that, he started talking again. Rapidly. Explaining that they would have to hide for three months. Explaining about the fob watch. Explaining how she should only open it if she was in danger, or if the Family had found them and had started killing people.

Rose absorbed all his information obediently, but then her impatience and worry took over and she interjected, "But what if – what if you get hurt, or ill, or something? What do I do then? What'll happen to you?"

"I'll never ask for anyone but you," he murmured, taking her hand and squeezing it reassuringly. "You'll look after me."

"But what if I can't, what if I'm useless and don't know how to help - "

"Rose," he interrupted softly. "I trust you_ irrefutably_, all right? You'll be fine. I'll be fine." He offered her a warm smile. "The TARDIS will create a life for me. We'll be sent somewhere, somewhen, and I'm really sorry, but you're just going to have to cope with wherever it is."

"You can't pick somewhere, then?" she asked him doubtfully.

"No," he answered, his apology written all over his face. "No, it'll be random. But like I said, she'll integrate me into society and whatnot, and you'll have to follow my lead, I suppose. Slip into a role you can play for three months." He drew her closer, and let go of her hand to wrap his arms around her in a tight hug.

"Gonna miss you," she mumbled into his shoulder.

He grinned, and pressed a soft kiss to her hair. "I'll miss you, too."

"But you'll be right there."

"Yeah. I won't remember, though."

"What, when you turn back into a Time Lord?"

He pondered it for a moment. "Weeelll. Actually, yeah, I probably will remember that_. _No, what I meant was, the human me won't remember anything about the Time Lord me."

"Thought not," she replied. "'Cos if you remembered yourself being an alien who travels in time and space I don't think I'd be able to keep you standing still, eh?"

He frowned, and tightened his hold of her. "I'd stand still for you as long as you wanted," he murmured softly. Before she could formulate a reply to _that_, he'd swallowed nervously and continued, "I'm sorry if I don't...recognise you."

"That's all right. Not your fault."

"Yeah, but..." he sighed at himself in frustration. "Well, a residual awareness will be there, but I won't remember how I..." He cleared his throat. "How good friends we are," he finished.

"Well, maybe we'll make friends again," she suggested hopefully.

He pulled back from the embrace and smiled at her gratefully, before saying, "Of course we will. It might get a bit frustrating for you, that's all – having to start over and that."

"Nah, it'll be fun," she tried to sound enthusiastic. "Always wondered if things would be at all different between us, were you human."

He knew she was trying to comfort him, but he couldn't help but feel a bit hurt by her words. His face fell. "Right."

Still, he reasoned, if the human him _did _get to become closer to Rose - in that very human way – at least he'd have the memories of it, after. Not that he should be thinking about _that_ right now. "Anyway! You go...somewhere, and come back in about ten minutes, okay?"

"Why can't I stay right here?"

"Because I don't want you to watch me change."

"Why not?"

"Because it won't be nice to watch."

"You'll be in pain."

"Yes."

"Then I'm staying."

"Rose - "

"I watched you _regenerate, _Doctor. I think I can cope with this."

"But I also need to do something else."

"What's that?"

"I need to record a message for you, telling you a few rules."

"And I can't be here for _that?" _she replied in disbelief.

"Nope," he insisted, swallowing thickly. "Please, Rose. Please just...go and sit in your room for ten minutes. When you come back into the console room, I'll be unconscious on the floor - " he paused as Rose made a noise of alarm, and squeezed her hands comfortingly. "So just watch the message, and then...drag me outside. And then it's up to you and the TARDIS. Like I said, she'll integrate me in. But you'll have to help give things a kick start, so to speak, by waking me up. The human me, I mean, obviously. The watch is the real me. The Time Lord me. And remember, you don't open that until three months, _three months, _have passed, okay? Not unless you absolutely need to. Which I'm sure you won't, because you're brilliant, and could probably save the day all on your own like you often do anyway." He smiled gently.

Rose nodded solemnly, swallowing against the lump in her throat. "So this is goodbye, then?"

He hesitated, staring into her sad eyes. "Yes," he whispered. "I'm so sorry. But I'll be back soon enough."

"Yeah..." she mumbled half-heartedly. She threw her arms around his neck in another tight hug.

His arms curved comfortably around her waist and he squeezed her back just as tight. Then, he gently pulled back, cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs swiping away her tears from the apples of her cheeks, and before he could stop himself, he kissed her right on the lips.

She was so surprised by his impromptu display of affection that she forgot to kiss back.

The Doctor almost instantly pulled away completely, and proceeded to act as if nothing had happened, quickly dashing to the console screen and perusing it thoughtfully. He glanced at Rose, who was staring at him with wide, unfocused eyes, and smiled. "Go on then. See you in three months."

She coughed awkwardly. "What was that about?" she mumbled.

He shrugged, sniffed nonchalantly, and turned back to the console screen. "Friendly goodbye kiss, that's all," he answered, as if it was something they frequently partook in.

"Right," she breathed out roughly. "In that case..."

She walked up to him and tugged him around with her hand on his shoulder.

"...best make it worth something, eh?" she finished, before pressing her mouth back to his.

This time she was a very active participant, and coaxed his mouth open so that she could sneak her tongue in. They kissed deeply for a few moments, both equally surprised at how natural it felt to do so. She moaned as he captured her bottom lip with his teeth before sucking on it gently.

The Doctor reluctantly pulled back again, trying to ignore the way in which he now felt because he _really _ought to get moving before the Family caught up with them.

"Right, Rose Tyler. That was..." he floundered. _Distracting. Wonderful. Lovely._

"A friendly goodbye kiss?" she offered with a small smile.

He laughed weakly, his hearts slowing down their rampant beating. Right. Of course it's just that, he thought. Of course. Meaningless. Harmless. Completely just an extension (or rather, depletion) of their already diminished personal space issue. Friends. Nothing more, no way, nothing, nada, zilch, zip.

Right. Time to turn human.

"Bye, Doctor," she murmured softly. He caught her hand before she could move away.

"Bye Rose Tyler. Thank you." He paused, and looked deep into her eyes, trying not to crumble as he saw _her _trying not to cry. "I..." he started. He cleared his throat. "I'll see you soon."

She briefly gave him a wide smile, knowing that was what he needed to see right now, and left the console room.


	2. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1**_

John Smith was asleep in his bed when Rose, under her newly improvised role as serving-girl at Farringham School, entered his rooms bearing breakfast. She giggled to herself as she carried the tray over to his table, watching him snoring softly and drooling onto his pillow. They had been here nearly a fortnight of the requisite three months so far. She couldn't wait to tease the Doctor about this when he returned.

For now, she contented herself with clearing her throat pointedly. Mr Smith did not awaken fully, merely shifted onto his back and muttered something about bananas. Rose grinned. He hadn't changed _that _much, then.

"Mr Smith?" she called, taking a few steps forward. "Time for breakfast, Sir. No bananas, I'm afraid. Don't think they have them cheap enough here yet."

"Hmmm? Rooose...?" he mumbled, his voice gravelly with sleep. Rose tried not to think about how sexy he sounded, saying her name like that.

His eyes fluttered open to find her hovering near his bed with a cup of tea in her hands for him. "Rose!" He jumped and shifted backwards, manoeuvring the sheets over himself.

"Good morning, Sir," she said, suppressing a smirk. "Tea?"

"Ah, yes, er, yes, thank you," he stammered, accepting the cup. "But really, Rose – I mean, Miss Tyler – I must apologise, I fear I must have overslept, I should be more...properly attired, erm..."

"Oh, don't worry about that, it's just me," she grinned, somewhat inappropriately sitting down at the foot of his bed. She found it very amusing, how she had to be more formal with him now, as if their many, many mornings sitting together in their pyjamas in the kitchen on the TARDIS over the last few years hadn't happened.

He cleared his throat awkwardly and sipped at his tea, trying not to blush at her proximity. After the dreams he kept having, it really was quite challenging having Miss Tyler so...close.

She fiddled with her apron absently as she commented on the weather. "It's a lovely day, today," she informed him. "Very sunny for the time of year."

"Yes," he replied distractedly, watching her fingers at the hem of her apron. How wonderful it had felt last night to have her fingers entwined with his. Only in his mind, of course. In these dreams of his that really didn't make any sense.

"Still, I'll be stuck inside the whole day," she bemoaned softly. "Cleaning the floors."

"You shouldn't be," he replied. She glanced up at him, surprised. "I – I mean...well." He swallowed hard. "Forgive me for being...well, I'm not quite sure what I'm being, but forgive me for it anyway – my point is, you, uh, you shouldn't have to do all this. You're so young, and so..._you, _and...it's not fair, really, is it? That you should have to clean floors and bring me breakfast when you are really, truly, capable of so much more."

Rose was blushing at his words, and looked down at her apron once he'd finished. "I...really? You think so?" she pressed, eager for his honest opinion, human as he was.

"Of course," he replied quietly. "I've conversed with you each morning for the last two weeks or so and you are quite clearly knowledgeable and...and bright." Their eyes met and he stuttered the end of his sentence, "To – to me, I mean, you seem..." He exhaled roughly. "Not suited to serving in the least."

Her eyes widened, and she almost laughed when it became clear that he thought he'd offended her.

"Not that you aren't good at this!" he added quickly, spilling his tea as he hurried to correct himself. "Because you are, you're very good at this, I just think that there are lots of other things you could be equally good at, if not better."

"Like what?" she asked curiously, enjoying seeing him flustered immensely.

"Uh..." Saving the world seemed oddly appropriate, but he couldn't exactly tell her that. She would think he had lost his mind.

Perhaps he had.

"Just. Well. Other things."

She smiled gratefully at him and stood up to leave. "Well, that may be so, but – poor working-class girl that I am – I shall have to make do with this."

"I wish..." he began, but then trailed off, flushing bright red.

She arched an eyebrow. "You wish what, Sir?"

"Nothing," he muttered. "Nothing. I'll, uh, see you about the school today, I expect. Perhaps...perhaps you could sneak out at lunch and go for a walk in the sunshine? I - I wouldn't mind accompanying you, if you are worried about getting reprimanded for it. I could say that you were helping me with some errand or another -"

"Yes please," she answered, interrupting him. She tucked a strand of her hair that had become loose from her bun behind her ear. "That would be lovely."

He smiled up at her, one of his wide, happy grins that she'd rarely seen since they'd been stuck here. "Right-o!"

She left his room with a bounce in her step.


End file.
